Golden Rules for Posting Online – Why Sharing Online Can Be Risky

The internet is largely about sharing content. From news to photos, information, and experiences, posting online is a way of connecting and building relationships. You might share your photos on Facebook or your political view on Twitter and think it’s perfectly harmless. But it can be dangerous, especially when you share too much. When you browse the internet, you leave bits of information everywhere. Whether you give your email address in return for reading a scholarly article or share your content on social media, your details are scattered everywhere. In this age of social media boom, we need to be extra careful whenever we post our private info online.

The Golden Rules of Online Sharing

How do you safeguard yourself from posting way too much on the internet?

#1 Don’t Post What You Don’t Want Others to See

This is a basic internet security precaution. It is critical to remember that you still have to be alert about what you share, even if you share it with a limited audience. Try not to reveal any personal details in your statuses. Your photos should not reveal a lot of your personal information. Also, they shouldn’t let anyone know about your schedule and the places you frequent.

#2 Be Alert and Aware

Going on the internet is easy. Just turn on the router and you’ll be connected. But before you go online, you need to know of all the dangers that might be lurking under the waters. Whether it’s virus and malware or hackers hiding behind a public Wi-Fi, there are several malicious entities that are hungry for your data.

Being aware is just the first step, so you don’t face a breach of security due to lack of know-how. If you’re a novice internet user, you might be unaware of the dangers that internet can contain. While not everyone on the internet is out to harm you, it’s always best to stay safe.

Public free Wi-Fi’s might be set up by hackers. Since they control a particular Wi-Fi, they can easily see the details that you send and receive on it. So if you use public Wi-Fi’s, make sure you use a good VPN to stay safe from hackers.

#3 Avoid Posting on Controversial Topics

People have strong views on topics such as politics and religion. If you post on these topics, there are chances that you might lose followers. You might even engage in arguments with others. Depending on your country, posting certain types of comments might even be illegal.

#4 Don’t Share Your Location

You might want to check-in into that expensive restaurant you entered. However, if you let the public know that you’re outside, potential thieves can know that there’s nobody home. While the check-in feature of Facebook is very enticing, it’s best to keep your location off.

Also, don’t announce a vacation beforehand. You can release the photos on Facebook once you come back from the trip. Don’t let others know that you’re going to be absent for several days.

#5 Think that You’re Sharing it with Someone Sitting with you

If you’re sitting alone, you might want to reblog, retweet, or share a particular post. However, imagine a person is sitting with you. They could be one of your followers or maybe even one of your family members. Would you share the content with them?

Pressing the share button is easy when you’re alone. But it might offend someone – maybe someone close to you. So always imagine that someone is sitting with you and you’re sharing that post with them. This will help you understand whether a particular post should be shared or not.

#6 Keep Your Social media Accounts Private

When your accounts will be private, even if you do share something that you shouldn’t, it will be viewed by a limited audience only. While it’s always prudent not to overshare, the thing is, that even if you do overshare by mistake, it will not reach many eyes.

By keeping your accounts private, you ensure that your posts are visible only to people who follow you. If you have a close circle of friends on Facebook and you share your child’s school details by mistake, those details will be visible to just your friends, which will be safer than sharing with the general public. Take a look at which of your social media account’s settings you should disable.

#7 Never Post Work Related Information

If you have strangers as your followers on social media, make sure you don’t post too many specific details on your work or office. You might not know but there can be stalkers, especially if they find your content interesting.

Apart from that, sharing work-related information can be a breach of the official privacy policy. If you do have to share office information, it should not contain too many details so that it cannot be traced back to the exact place where you work.

The Golden Rules of What to Share – Conclusion

Being robbed, arrested, followed or stalked all because of online actions is very real. While you think this may not happen to you, the truth is very different. From authorities to hackers, the menace of unwanted, online intrusions is very real. While many people do not consider the potential security risk of letting unwanted others access their information, the threat is there. And you need to be alert about how you can save yourself from snoopers, whether this includes criminals or even the government.

Online privacy is becoming a real concern, especially with the spread of social media channels. If you share too much, it’s high time you started the process to make your online presence private. Otherwise, the result will be more than you can handle. From malicious hacking to viruses, online or cyberstalking to governmental snooping, unwanted intrusions on your privacy can have a serious repercussion on your well-being and safety. Take the steps to safeguard yourself and your social media accounts online, and make cyberspace a safer place whether you shop online, browse, or just connect with others on social media.